The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

Regional Transit

A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year

Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.

April 12 - The Mercury News

Base Camp Village

Using Inmate Labor to Build Affordable Housing

How do we balance the need to provide job training to those incarcerated with the need to ensure that prisoners are not exploited for their work?

April 12 - Shelterforce Magazine

New York Police Department

Speed Measures the Change on New York City Streets

With so few cars on the road, cars and buses are moving faster in New York City. Some drivers are going too fast, though.

April 12 - The New York Times

Washington, D.C. Coronavirus

FEATURE

The Geography of Occupations: Some Neighborhoods Will Suffer More Than Others Under COVID-19

Census Bureau data shows we live near people with similar occupations, and right now frontline jobs are riskier for both health and economic well-being than working from home.

April 10 - Jonathan Stiles

Social Distancing

Coronavirus Signs Say So Much

The signs of the times say much more than words can express.

April 10 - Slate


new York City

Even Parks Are Going Online During the Pandemic

Parks departments in New York City and Pittsburgh are offering videos and livestreams to cooped-up residents.

April 10 - Next City

Christmas

Friday Funny: An Adorable Housing Shortage in Cupcake Kingdom

A satirical article from last year, written by the Onion, offers a bit of satire as either a distraction from the public health crisis or as a reminder of the crisis that existed before the novel coronavirus.

April 10 - The Onion


City Planners

Planning More Important Than Ever During the Pandemic

The work of planners might seem unimportant during the pandemic, according to this article, but some of the skills and expertise of planning are more important than ever.

April 9 - Abundant Housing LA

Los Angeles Grand Park

L.A. Department of City Planning Goes Remote

Los Angeles Department of City Planning Director Vince Bertoni shares the status of the planning department and the daily challenges of providing public-facing service and community meetings under social distancing orders.

April 9 - The Planning Report

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

Light Rail Service Restored in South Bay Area

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will start running trains again today, two weeks after shutting down service.

April 9 - The Mercury News

Cars

California Car Collision Rates Decline After Shelter-in-Place Mandates

A hopeful forecast predicts that thousands of monthly traffic collisions will be avoided due to reduced vehicular travel during California’s shelter-in-place period.

April 9 - Los Angeles Times

New York Public Transit

Watch: 'Planning and Health in the Time of COVID-19'

Listen in as planners discuss the response of the profession to the coronavirus pandemic in California.

April 9 - APA California via YouTube

Virginia

Transit Shutdown Only Lasts 36 Hours in Petersburg, Virginia

Transit officials quickly rescinded a decision to halt public transit service in the city of Petersburg.

April 9 - Greater Greater Washington

City Kids

Project For Public Spaces Launches Initiative to Improve Marketplaces Worldwide

Project for Public Spaces' Market Cities Initiative seeks to understand and addresses challenges faced by the public marketplaces to improve market infrastructure and promote healthy food systems in local communities.

April 9 - Project For Public Spaces

Toronto Transit Commission

Who's Still Riding Transit During the Pandemic? Evidence From Toronto

Transit routes used by workers in Toronto heading to industrial jobs have still been crowded with riders during the coronavirus pandemic.

April 9 - The Star

California Shelter-in-Place

Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City

Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.

April 8 - NPR

Metro Rapid Bus

Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership

Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.

April 8 - The New York Times

Interbay Seattle

Seattle Interbay Industrial Plan Is Dead

Many elements of the plan for the Ballard-Interbay were never implemented, and its relevance as a planning document is over.

April 8 - The Urbanist

Stay-at-Home Orders

FEATURE

Rent Crisis Deferred

One-third of tenants didn't pay rent in April, according to a data released today by the National Multifamily Housing Council.

April 8 - James Brasuell

Social Distancing

Digital Design Review Approved in Seattle

Emergency legislation has cleared the way for a virtual design review process to keep the wheels of the development industry moving in one of the nation's fastest growing cities.

April 8 - The Urbanist

Post News

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.